Moussaka

This is one of my favorite gluten and casein-free recipes for comfort food as well as nutrition. You can use either beef or lamb and an endless variety of vegetables.

Ingredients

1 small eggplant

2 small zucchini

1 small organic yellow summer squash

(Total vegetables sliced should cover one large cookie sheet side by side)

salt and pepper

1 onion

1 cup of fresh chopped parsley

2 large eggs

1/2 cup ghee

1 pound ground lamb

1 cup pureed organic pumpkin (from can is fine)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

4 slices gluten-free white bread with crust removed

1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I use Urad or Rice)

2 cups thick cashew milk (1 1/4 cups of water blended with one cup of cashews

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1Rinse and peel the eggplant cutting away the green end. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash lengthwise or circular.

2Place vegetables in strainer and sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on them while tossing. Allow vegetables to sit for 15-20 minutes while they release moisture. Whisk eggs and set aside.

3Melt 1/4 cup of ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and let soften and lightly brown. Add meat, season with salt and pepper and stir regularly until the meat browns.

4Add the tomato paste, pumpkin, parsley, and vinegar to the onion-meat mixture. Mix and let simmer for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Set aside.

5Remove the crusts from the bread and process the bread in a food processor to make bread crumbs.

6Melt 1/4 cup of ghee over medium-low heat. Add the flour and mix to obtain a smooth mixture. Stir until well blended. Slowly start pouring in cashew milk while whisking. Continue stirring and bring to boil.

7Pour a little sauce over the eggs, whisk and add egg mixture to the sauce. Whisk for 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and cover.

8Turn the oven’s broiler on. Rinse and dry the vegetables and toss in bowl with olive oil. Arrange them on a baking stone or on parchment paper. Grill for 5-7 minutes.

9Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and move a rack to the middle of the oven. Add the cinnamon and half the breadcrumbs to the meat mixture.

10Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs into a baking dish. Arrange a layer of vegetables over the breadcrumbs and top with half the meat mixture smoothing over evenly. Then add half the sauce and spread over the meat evenly.

11Arrange another layer of vegetables over the sauce and top with the rest of the meat mixture and remaining sauce.Sprinkle with parsley and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the moussaka browns. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.